Best weapons in Resident Evil 4 remake and how to get them

There are plenty of guns to help you survive your deadly adventures in the Resident Evil 4 remake, but only the best weapons will do if you want to end the Las Plagas once and for all.

Whether you’re fighting a wave of pitchfork-bearing Ganados or trying your best to take down the chainsaw-wielding Dr. Salvador, having the best weapons at your disposal could be the difference between life and death for Leon Kennedy.

While there will always be an element of personal preference when it comes to choosing your perfect loadout, we’ve put together a list of what we believe are the best weapons in the Resident Evil 4 remake to give you a nice starting point.

Best weapons in Resident Evil 4 Remake

Here are some of the best weapons for your loadout in the Resident Evil 4 remake:

• Riot Gun
• Stingray
• Red9
• Broken Butterfly
• Bolt Thrower with Attachable Mines
• Rocket Launcher

All of these weapons can be unlocked on your first playthrough and should be available by the time you reach the Castle, so you’ve got plenty of time to upgrade them and get your money’s worth out of them.

We haven’t included end-game weapons or New Game+ weapons as they’re not going to help you out with the majority of your main story playthrough.

Riot Gun (Shotgun)

You can find the standard W-870 Shotgun early on in the Resident Evil 4 remake, and that will serve you well enough for most of the game. But once you get access to the Riot Gun, you won’t ever look back, as it’s superior in almost every way – especially when it comes to power and ammo capacity.

A shotgun is easily the most important weapon to have in your loadout, so this should be a priority. We can’t remember the exact time it became available to us, but you should be able to purchase the Riot Gun from the Merchant’s shop before you head toward the Castle section of the game.

Stingray (Rifle)

While the Riot Gun is perfect for close-range combat, the Stingray Rifle is top of the class when it comes to long-range shooting. Make sure you get the scope attachment for double the zoom, which is great for taking out Ganados with crossbows at the Castle or protecting Ashley from harm at a distance.

Some of you might prefer the fully-automatic CQBR Assault Rifle, but we found that it’s far too easy to burn through all of your ammo with that gun, while the semi-automatic Stingray is just right. You can purchase the Stingray from the Merchant’s shop during the Castle section of the game.

Red9 (Handgun)

There are quite a few handguns available in the Resident Evil 4 remake, but the best handgun is definitely the Red9, which prioritizes power. The main issue with the Red9 is its huge kickback, which can make aiming tricky. Keep that in check by purchasing the stock attachment from the Merchant.

You can find the Red9 on an abandoned boat at the center of the Lake, but you’ll only be able to access this once you’ve reached the motorboat a few hours into the game. You’ll want to grab it before you head to the Castle as your route back here will be blocked off.

Broken Butterfly (Magnum Revolver)

While the Red9 is our go-to handgun in the Resident Evil 4 remake, it’s definitely worth making space for the Broken Butterfly in your loadout as well. This vintage magnum revolver has a huge amount of power and is great for instant-kill headshots or piercing through multiple enemies.

The main issue with the Broken Butterfly is that ammo drops are incredibly scarce, and they require a lot of resources to craft. For this reason, it’s best to save it for when you really need it. You can purchase the Broken Butterfly from the Merchant’s shop by the time you reach the Castle area.

Bolt Thrower (Bow)

We dismissed the new Bolt Thrower weapon when we first got hold of it. It’s slow to use, it doesn’t deal much damage, and it only holds a few bolt projectiles at a time – which, frankly, is the exact opposite of what you’re looking for when you’ve got a horde of Ganados charging toward you.

That is until you unlock the attachable proximity mines. These powerful explosives are invaluable when you’re overwhelmed as they can take out multiple enemies at once. You can purchase the Bolt Thrower from the Merchant’s shop early in the game, with the proximity mines arriving a little later on.

Rocket Launcher

There’s not much that needs to be said about the Rocket Launcher. It’s probably the best weapon in the Resident Evil 4 remake if you’re looking for pure firepower, as one blast from this beast can help you end a boss fight in seconds.

The main problem with the Rocket Launcher is that it only has one use, so even though it’s an incredible weapon to have, we wouldn’t actually recommend adding it to your loadout unless you’re really struggling to defeat a specific boss.

A note on New Game+ weapons…

While the above guns are some of the best weapons you can get in your first playthrough of Resident Evil 4 remake’s main story mode, there are several weapons that only the most dedicated players will be able to unlock by replaying in New Game+ mode.

The weapons you can find this way – like the Chicago Sweeper, the Handcannon, and the Infinite Rocket Launcher – might technically be the ‘best’ weapons in the game, but many players won’t ever get the chance to actually use them as they’re so difficult to unlock.

We hope that’s helped you decide on the best weapons for your loadout! Check out some more Resident Evil 4 guides below:

RE4 ending explained | Where to find the Shotgun | Where to find the Golden Egg | Can you save the dog? | Separate Ways | The Mercenaries | Changing costumes | How Spinels work | Achievements & Trophies | Remake differences | Resident Evil 4 review | Resident Evil 5 remake? | Code Veronica remake?